


My Hero

by KoreabooKitty (Koreabookitty)



Series: GOT7 au drabbles [2]
Category: GOT7
Genre: Jackson Saves the day more than once, M/M, Mark is a Hot Mess, hot mess au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-03
Updated: 2017-05-23
Packaged: 2018-07-29 00:52:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7663885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Koreabookitty/pseuds/KoreabooKitty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Combination of two AUs:</p><p>"This is my first time I'm living on my own and my parents are dropping by to visit, pls let me borrow some cleaning supplies and food so that my parents will believe that I'm a functioning, responsible adult who totally cleans and doesn't just have eggs and condiments in my fridge" au and a "FUCK! I forgot I told my parents I was seeing someone, please pretend to be my boyfriend" au</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hot Mess

Normally one would say that Mark Tuan was a relaxed kind of person. Calm cool, and collected might be the choice adjectives to describe him. However, at the moment that was not the case at all. It was nearly one in the morning and Mark was running around his apartment like a madman, gathering all the dirty dishes scattered throughout the living space and his bedroom.

 

You see his parents were flying in to visit him in Seoul, where he was currently residing. When he had first heard about their visit he was extremely excited to see them since it had been over a year since he’d been able to see them in person. However all of that was shattered when his mother sent him a text letting him know they were at LAX and their flight would be an hour late getting in to Seoul. And that was when Mark realized he had written down the wrong date for their arrival and would only have about 13 hours to clean up his minor disaster zone of an apartment.

 

Mark would admit that he wasn’t the neatest person on the planet, he didn’t see why you needed to make your bed every morning nor why having a small mountain of dishes built up was an awful thing. Okay, maybe he was just lazy and only cleaned upon necessity, but he would be damned if his parents would find that out.

 

All the plates were now sitting on the counter next to the sink as Mark looked through the cabinet under his sink to find his dish soap…only to discover it was as good as empty. _Fuck._ He thought to himself and tried to figure out what to do. It was too late to go buy some, the nearest convenience store was farther than he’d like to walk at this early hour, so he changed tactics. The dishes weren’t going anywhere, they could wait until it was a reasonable hour to buy what he needed. He decided instead to collect his dirty clothes and do a few loads of laundry. That is until he realized he didn’t have any detergent either. To top it all off, while pilling his clothes into a basket he found a stain where he had spilled soda the other day on his living room carpet and had managed to knock over the dead potted plant he had on the window sill. Not only did he not have carpet cleaner, but he also didn’t own a vacuum to clean up all the soil everywhere. “I should not be allowed to be an adult,” Mark said to himself as he slid down the wall in defeat. He ruffled his hair with one of his hands as he felt his eyes watering, the stress had gotten to him finally. It was now 5AM, he had lost 4 hours of cleaning time and only made the mess worse. This was not his finest hour.

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

It was 4:30 in the morning when Jackson Wang woke up to a crash coming from his (hot) next-door neighbor’s apartment. Any normal person would just go back to sleep, but Jackson was not a normal person. He decided to get up and shower, he would normally wake up at six to work out anyway and he was slightly concerned about the crash. After getting out of the shower his concerns about his neighbor proved to be valid when he heard soft sobbing accompanied with light banging through the wall of his bedroom. That’s when he decided to go check on his neighbor.

 

It wasn’t until he had already knocked on the door had he realized how weird this would seem. He and his highly attractive neighbor had never said anything to each other in the six months Jackson had lived there. They often passed each other in the hallway, but the other usually looked away as soon as Jackson would try to wave in greeting. While Jackson had been nursing a crush on this mysterious cutie for four months he still didn’t even know his name. “Shit, now this just seems creepy,” Jackson muttered under his breath as he heard shuffling on the other side of the door. _No backing out of this now I suppose_ , he thought as the door opened just enough for Jackson to see one red, puffy eye.

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

“…hello?” Mark said, mentally cursing how husky his voice was from crying. As he looked at his new visitor in the eyes he realized it was his neighbor he’d seen in the hallway and he wasn’t going to lie, he’d checked him out a few times, but always ended up running off before saying anything to try to avoid making a fool out of himself. _So much for that._

 

“Hey, I’m your next-door neighbor. Um, my name is Jackson… I heard some kind of crash earlier and I’m pretty sure you’re crying. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.” Jackson said with a look of concern on his face and honestly it took Mark everything in him to not just break down again right there.

 

Instead he sniffled and rubbed his eyes with the long sleeve of his sweater before explaining, “I’m fine, really.” Mark lied, but it his unconvincing words did nothing to lessen the concern on the other’s face, “I-I just… My parents are flying in from LA and I got the dates wrong and they’re gonna be here in like eight hours and my place is a disaster and I tried to clean it, but I don’t have any cleaning supplies and I made the mess worse and I don’t know what to do,” The words flew out of Mark’s mouth faster than he could control them. He didn’t mean to share all of this with someone who was basically a stranger, but there was something about Jackson’s eyes that made him trust the other with his problems. “I’m Mark by the way.”

 

Jackson smiled slightly and nodded after Mark finished, “Hey, no need to freak out.” Mark opened the door all the way to let Jackson see the extent of the mess his apartment was. Jackson’s eyes slightly widened as he took in everything he could see from the doorway, “Wow, um… I can’t lie. That’s pretty bad.” Jackson could see Mark physically deflate at Jackson’s words so he quickly added, “My parents came and visited a few weeks back. My mom bought me a bunch of cleaning supplies before she left, so I can bring those over. I’ll even help you clean this place up since it looks like it would be a big job for just one person.” He wasn’t sure why he offered his help, he wasn’t exactly great at housework, but the worry lines on Mark’s forehead just didn’t belong there and if he could help relieve this beautiful person’s stress he would. This was a totally selfless gesture, for sure. “That is… if you want the help,” Jackson added after a few moments of awkward silence.

 

This seemed to jump start Mark’s brain once again, “Oh my God, you’re a life saver!” he burst out, “I don’t want to keep you from doing anything you need to though. Don’t feel like you have to help me because I’m a mess of an adult.”

 

Jackson chuckled slightly as he shook his head, “It’s no problem, I’ll be back with all the cleaning supplies in a minute,” he replied as he turned to quickly grab everything they would need. And he would be lying if he said he didn’t check his reflection in the mirror quickly before returning to Mark’s, ready to get to work.

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

After five hours of cleaning Mark’s apartment was looking much better. Together Mark and Jackson had not only done 3 loads of laundry, washed the dishes, change the bed sheets, gotten the stain mostly out of the carpet, and vacuumed, but they also realized they had similar tastes in music, both danced and practiced Martial Arts Tricking, spoke English, Korean, and Mandarin, and worked very well together. Even though they had just properly met a few hours ago, one might assume they had been friends for years. You learn a lot about someone when you help them clean their messy apartment from floor to ceiling. Now they were both covered in a very thin layer of sweat and collapsed on Mark’s couch, arms and thighs nearly touching.

 

Once Mark had finally calmed down enough he got up and offered Jackson a hand to do the same. Jackson was very tired and willingly accepted the assistance. He would be lying if he said he didn’t feel a spark when their hands touched, but he ignored it in favor of being a good host and offer Jackson some kind of thank you for all his help. If the growls that have been increasing in volume steadily since 8AM were anything to go by Jackson was wanting something to eat. So he did what any adult would do when their guest is hungry; he went to the fridge to make them something to eat…except, there was one minor problem with this, he only has old half-eaten take out, soy sauce, and expired eggs. “Jacks,” Mark said as he closed the door to his fridge in defeat, “I wanted to make you something for all your help, but…”

 

Jackson laughed a little as he understood where Mark was going with this. He didn’t understand how a grown man could be so utterly adorable. He resisted the urge to ruffle Mark’s hair and coo at how cute he looked with the slight pout he had going on. “I went shopping yesterday. We can just move my stuff into your fridge so you look good for your parents, no biggie, Jackson said as he pulled Mark by the arm and headed out Mark’s front door to his own. Mark had a light blush from embarrassment as Jackson loaded his arms up with groceries to fill his fridge with.

 

Once they had filled Mark’s fridge, Mark began making omelets for both himself and Jackson, “I’m really sorry about waking you up so early, you having to help me look like a proper adult for my parents, and then to top it all off having to take half of the food in your fridge…” Mark said awkwardly and focusing more than he needed to on plating their late breakfast.

 

Without looking he could tell Jackson had a carefree smile on, “How many times did I tell you not to worry about it while we were cleaning? I had a lot of fun anyway,” he said.

 

They ate their meal and continued to converse until Mark checked the time on his phone. “SHIT! My parents land in like half an hour! I need to get to the airport!” He said jumping up and running to grab his keys and wallet. Them he suddenly remembered Jackson and the dirty plates and pan.

 

It was like Jackson could read Mark’s mind as he said, “You go to the airport; I’ll clean this all up, dust and then disappear back to my apartment. Don’t worry about it, go see your parents.” Mark was really starting to wonder if Jackson was a real human being or his guardian angel who decided to come down and take pity on him. He gave Jackson a bright smile in thanks before he ran out the door. Now that he was alone Jackson laughed to himself and voiced the thought that had been floating around his head for the last few hours, “I knew he was hot, but I didn’t realize he was a hot mess,” making himself laugh harder at his lame joke before he got back to work cleaning.

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Traffic was terrible, as it usually was in Seoul, but Mark made it just in time to pick his parents at the baggage claim. They greeted him with tight hugs and he gladly accepted them with open arms. On the ride home they told him how his sisters and brother were doing and generally caught up what everyone was up to back home. Everything was going smoothly until they made the turn into the parking garage of Mark’s apartment. “So Hun,” Mark’s mother started, “are we going to get the special someone you mentioned you were seeing while we’re here?”

 

Mark’s eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat as he remembered lying to them about dating someone for a few months already. He was suddenly very glad his parents were both sitting in the backseat so they couldn’t see him silently cursing himself for being such an idiot. Mark parked as his mom asked her question again. Mark didn’t know what to say so he settled for the noncommittal reply of, “Maybe I think he’s going to be pretty busy all week, but he said he might pop in and surprise me if he has time.”

 

This seemed to satisfy both his parents and Mark let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding in. As they approached his door he fiddled with his keys for a moment before he opened the door and let his parents inside first. “Oh Mark! You’re back already? I was just about to-“ Jackson said as he turned around from his spot at the sink. His eyes widened when he saw Mark two strangers he could only assume were Mark’s parents.

 

Mark’s heart stopped as his mother turned to look at her son with a knowing smile on her face. _If you only you really knew mom, you’d be so disappointed_ , he thought. His brain suddenly came up with a crazy idea, and as odd as it seemed, his heart wasn’t opposed to it either. Before he even realized what he was doing he stepped past his parents and gave Jackson a look that he hoped conveyed ‘just go with it, please’. “Babe, you’re here? I wasn’t expecting to see you today!” Mark cooed as he grabbed Jackson’s hand, intertwining their fingers. _What have I gotten Jackson into?_


	2. So the fun begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this didn't quite end up being what I wanted and this story will be longer than I had planned, maybe 4 parts? Not sure yet.

Jackson had to admit he was in shock at what was happening and he hoped he hid it fast enough. He did realize there was a blush rising on his cheeks he couldn’t control, how else would one react when your crush suddenly needs you to pretend to be dating them. Mark seemed to be lost in thought as his parents closed in on them to greet Jackson. _I’m going to be on my own for this aren’t I?_ Jackson thought as Mark’s mother greeted him and went in for a hug.

 

“Hello Mr. and Mrs. Tuan! My name is Jackson; Mark didn’t really warn me I would be meeting you guys today; I would have dressed a little better if I’d known” Jackson joked as he gestured to his t-shirt that was a bit dusty from cleaning and his basketball shorts.

 

“Oh sweetheart, don’t worry about it! Mark had said he wasn’t sure if we’d get to see you at all so this was a very pleasant surprise,” Mark’s mother said with a kind smile. She turned to look at her son to see he was starring off into space, “Mark dear, are you alright?”

 

“Wha- Oh! Sorry, um Dad, you can put the bags in the bedroom. I need to speak with Jackson for a moment.” Mark replied as he snapped out of it. He pulled Jackson by the wrist out of the apartment and into the hallway, but not before his father called after them, letting the two ‘lovebirds’ know they could take their time. Mark’s eyes went wide again as he shut the door and turned to look at Jackson.

 

“I’m so so so sorry! I didn’t know what else to do. I guess I told them I had been seeing someone and forgot about the lie. When they saw you in there I figured they had assumed so I-I just…” Mark quickly said. Jackson could see Mark was freaking out because the apology was almost nearly being yelled at him. Before he could say anything more Jackson put a hand over Mark’s mouth.

 

“Mark,” he started and tried not to smirk at the shocked look in the other’s eyes. “Its fine, I kinda pieced it together.”

 

Mark pulled Jackson’s hand away from his mouth, but didn’t let go of it. “Would you mind pretending to be my boyfriend while they’re here though?” Mark asked in a much more calm voice, it even surprised himself. Then he realized what he was asking, this poor guy, who he had really just met today had done so much for him already. He was probably over stepping plenty of boundaries at this point. “Ah, what am I saying? Someone like you must already be seeing someone. Plus you’ve already saved my ass too many times today.” Mark looked down in embarrassment and saw his hand still holding Jackson’s. He quickly released it and went to go back to his apartment, fully ready to explain to his parents he had lied to them.

 

“Wait!” Jackson said in a hushed whisper. Mark stopped, but didn’t have it in him to turn around and look at Jackson, “I don’t mind pretending to be your boyfriend for a week or however long your parents are here. It would just be a bigger issue to tell them you lied anyway. Plus…” Jackson paused, not sure if he should continue, “Plus, I’m not seeing anyone right now so it’s really not a problem. Let’s get back in there and not keep your parents waiting any longer.” Jackson walked past Mark to open the door for him, “you coming?” he asked. Mark gave him a small smile before nodding and reentering his apartment.

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------

 

The rest of the day went by well. Jackson was quick on his feet, having answers to all the questions Mark’s parents threw at him. He had even surprised Mark with some of the answers he created; they all sounded so natural, like how they first met in the hallway outside and how Jackson thought he was absolutely gorgeous and had to talk to him, but was too nervous to at first. Little did he know that Jackson was just being honest.

 

The four of them had gone to a very nice Chinese restaurant Jackson had recommended to continue getting to know each other. Conversation continued to flow naturally and it was clear Mr. and Mrs. Tuan had taken a real liking to Jackson. Mark was beginning to wish that this all wasn’t a lie; that he and Jackson really were together.

 

When the bill came Jackson reached for it automatically and Mark nearly had a heart attack. He tried to grab it out of Jackson’s hand, but the other held it just out of his reach. “Jackson!” Mark whispered into his ear, “What do you think you’re doing?!”

 

Jackson just smile a ruffled Mark’s blonde locks, “It would be rude if I let your dad pay, babe.” Jackson said like it was obvious. Mark just starred as Jackson handed the waited his debit card. Suddenly he wondered if he had gotten into an accident and this was all some kind of drug induced dream he was stuck in. As they left the restaurant he slapped himself in the face, but it indeed did hurt. This was all real life.

 

Things only got more interesting though after they returned to Mark’s apartment. His parent’s jetlag was finally kicking in, “Mark, I think we’ll be going to bed soon,” his father said as Mark stood in the living room.

 

“Okay, you guys have my room. I’ll be on the couch if you need anything.” Mark said as he went to grab extra sheets from the hall closet.

 

“Oh son, don’t be shy. We aren’t that old fashioned. You just go and stay with Jackson next door. I’m not going to make you two pretend you’ve never done anything before.” Mark’s father said, winking at Mark and Jackson. Needless to say, Mark was stunned into a coughing fit at his father’s words. He could hear Jackson saying something in response, but couldn’t focus on the words. His mind was filled with thoughts ranging from shock to curiosity, anyone could tell Jackson had a good body, but this was simply not the time for Mark’s mind to be in the gutter. He was brought back to reality when he felt Jackson grab his hand and lead him next door.

 

“Mark? You okay?” Jackson said as he sat the two of them down on his couch. Mark said nothing in response, but looked at Jackson to show he was listening. “Mark, while your parents are here you can stay here, to keep up the act of course. Your dad is right, it does seem kind of weird for you to sleep on the couch if your boyfriend lives next door- I mean if he did…” Jackson said before standing to grab a change of clothes for himself and Mark.

 

He tried to find comfortable clothes that were tight on him so they would fit Mark’s slender frame. Once finding something he thought might work for the other he changed into his own sleepwear before returning to the living room. He half expected Mark to still be sitting on the couch since when he had left the other still seemed frozen in some kind of shocked state. However Mark was standing in front of his built-in bookshelf where he housed his fencing trophies and medals. He quietly walked up behind Mark and leaned over his shoulder, “Impressive, huh?” He said, startling Mark.

 

Mark jumped in shock, but thankfully didn’t break anything. He turned to Jackson and nodded, “I didn’t know you fenced. You didn’t mention it earlier,” Mark said sheepishly.

 

Jackson smiled, “Oh, well I’ve been fencing since I was little, back in Hong Kong my dad was my coach. Now I usually train by myself, but every once in a while I practice with the rest of the national team. I’m supposed to represent South Korea in the Olympics next year.”

 

Mark picked his jaw up off the floor before punching Jackson on the chest in a friendly manner, “HOW CAN YOU NOT MENTION THAT?” Mark exclaimed, “That’s so cool. I have great taste in fake boyfriends!” Jackson handed Mark the clothes he brought for him and let the other change in the bathroom. Meanwhile Jackson laid down on the couch, fully content to fall asleep after the long day he had. “What are you doing?” Mark asked from the doorway of Jackson’s room, “You’re not sleeping on the couch after everything you’ve already done. Nope, I will literally shrivel up from the guilt. You go to your bed, I’ll sleep on the couch.” Mark walked over to try and pull Jackson up by the arm, but the brunette was clearly stronger than Mark.

 

Mark huffed like a child and Jackson laughed at his indignation, “I’ll just sleep here then,” he said lying down and using his arms as a pillow.

 

Jackson rolled his eyes and sat up. “You really won’t just go sleep in the bed?” he asked and Mark refused to answer. _How can he be this cute?_ Jackson asked himself for what felt like the hundredth time today. “Okay, well how about this? It’s a really big bed, we can just share it.” Jackson didn’t know where this confidence suddenly came from, he was immediately berating himself, _Yeah, like you’ll get any sleep in the same bed as him. You’re just gonna be creepy and watch him like you used to in the hallway._

 

Mark was a bit surprised at the offer, but he definitely was not opposed to ‘accidentally’ waking up in Jackson arms. He agreed as he stood and headed towards the bedroom, only realizing this could ruin their arrangement of fake boyfriends after Jackson turned off the light and gotten in bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully this chapter wasn't too disappointing. Things will become more awkward and more interesting in the next chapter once Mark has a chance to properly catch feeling for Jackson. Right now he is just kind of aware Jackson is very attractive and he feels guilty about all Jackson has had to do for him, once he actually likes Jackson hot mess Mark will be back in full swing.
> 
> I will hopefully be updating again by this weekend!!


	3. Hoping for more

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello to anyone who is still interested in reading this!
> 
> I promised I would come back to this story and I'm going to keep that promise! This new chapter is very short because I am working on a new story with a tone very different from this one. Getting back into writing this story hasn't been easy, but I will finish it! I would make a promise about by when, but I don't want to be a flop and fail on that deadline too. (I haven't really gotten a chance to edit this chapter, but I'll be doing that this evening)
> 
> Anyway, here is chapter 3!

Mark woke up later than he normally would. Which was pretty bad considering he normally woke up around noon on weekends, but the clock clearly read 3:00pm. The second thing he noticed was that there was no one else in bed with him, though he clearly remembers Jackson being there before he fell asleep. He may or may not have waited until Jackson was asleep to forcibly curl himself up in the other’s strong arms, but that was not the point right now. 

He forced himself out of bed and went to the bathroom to make himself look less tired before making his way back to his own apartment. He grabbed his jeans from yesterday and shirt from Jackson’s closet, hoping the other wouldn’t mind before heading out the door of Jackson’s apartment.

As he was pulling out his key to unlock his front door he heard Jackson’s high-pitched laughter followed by his Father’s chuckle. “Wait, wait I’ve got another!” Mark heard Jackson say, his words punctuated with laughter, “So, the other day I went to the zoo and all they had was one dog in the whole place! It was a shih tzu!” 

Mark stifled a giggle as his father and Jackson rounded the corner to head back to Mark’s apartment, both wheezing from laughing to hard. Jackson had a large bag thrown over his shoulder and a towel thrown around his neck. When they saw Mark standing in the hallway they greeted him while trying to regain their composure from the lame joke.

“Where were you guys?” Mark asked as he opened the door for the three of them. As soon as they walked inside he was hit with the mouthwatering smell of his mother’s cooking. 

“Jackson brought me to the fencing hall to watch him do a few sparing matches with the other members of the National Team. How could you not tell us Jackson was going to be an Olympian?” His father exclaimed as they all sat joined his wife in the kitchen.

“Oh,” Mark said as he and Jackson sat down on the couch, “I guess it slipped my mind. Why didn’t you wake me up baby? I would have loved to go and watch you fence too”

“Sorry Markiepooh, you just looked so cute sleeping I couldn’t bear to wake you up,” Jackson said ruffling Marks hair.

Mark’s mother walked into the living room and cooed at the two of them, “Aw, Raymond, remember when we were that cute and in love?”  
“We still are Dorine,” Mark’s father replied as he pulled her into a sweet kiss.

“Get a room,” Mark yelled while covering his eyes like someone had thrown acid in his face.

“Are you sure you want that?” Raymond asked with a chuckle, “The only room we can get at the moment is your bedroom.” Mark gave his father a horrified look while Jackson laughed openly. He really enjoyed the Tuan’s family dynamic. They were all so funny and happy. Even more he was enjoying getting closer to Mark, even if it was all fake. 

One thing he knew was real was that when he woke up this morning to find his arms wrapped around Mark. Mark had nuzzled his face into the crook of Jackson’s neck and their legs were intertwined. For a moment, Jackson had forgotten that this was all an act they were putting on for Raymond and Dorine. Maybe after this week was over Jackson could possibly ask Mark out for real

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I'm not sure how confident I feel in it, but I'm committed to finish it for you all because so many of you have enjoyed it!
> 
> Also, if you have the chance, please check out my new Markson story "Our Lives"  
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/10933785/chapters/24324255


	4. For Real

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I promised I would finish this story, so here it is! The last chapter!

Things had been going well for Mark and Jackson with their pretend relationship. They were the definition of the perfect couple in the eyes of Mark’s parent’s. As the days went by it was clear that Jackson was effortlessly becoming a beloved member of the Tuan family. Every day after fencing practice Jackson would head to Mark’s apartment instead of his own. The four of them would go and try to do something fun each day to make the most of Raymond and Dorine’s trip. 

One evening was spent at the Han River, having a picnic prepared by Mark’s mother. They even played frisbee and took a stroll down the river bank. Mark’s parents held hands and insisted the boys not play shy and should feel free to do the same, so they did. Another was spent at Lotte World, where Jackson spent most of his time recovering from the heart attack he had on the rollercoaster Mark insisted they go on as soon as they got into the theme park. Last night they had just gone sight-seeing around Itaewon and to Namsan tower, just before they were about to head back for a late meal Dorine noticed the chain-link fence covered in thousands locks of all sorts of varying shapes and sizes. 

“What are these all about?” She asked, “there’s so many of them!”

Jackson smiled at her curiosity. “Couples write love messages on these and then lock them to the fence to symbolize their unwavering love and hopes for a long relationship,” he replied, looking at one that was shaped like a heart, “I think they sell locks somewhere nearby, you and Raymond should do one!”

“Oh don’t be silly, Jackson! Dorine and I have been together forever already, if anyone should do one it’s you and Mark,” Raymond replied as Dorine walked over to the stand to buy a lock for the two boys.

“Mom, I don’t think that that is necessary, let’s just head back to eat.” Mark said in an attempt to steer his mother away from creating yet another awkward and embarrassing situation. But of course she didn’t listen and insisted on buying a little lock with a light blue heart on it. She handed it and a marker to Mark and Jackson with a wink. Mark tried to apologize to Jackson for this, as he did with every other moment they’ve spent doing super couple-y things this week, but Jackson just waved him off before writing: “M + J Forever isn’t long enough~”.

Mark’s mother hurried over to get a peek at the lock before they put it on the fence and cooed at how adorable it was. Dorine also insisted on getting a picture of them with their lock before they could go. She pulled out her own phone as Raymond went and grabbed Jackson’s to take the picture for him as well. 

“Smile Mark, just be natural,” Jackson whispered in Mark’s ear as he wrapped his arms around him and left absolutely no room for Jesus. After they had taken a few photos, the four of them headed back to Mark’s car. Jackson scrolled through the different shots Mark’s dad had managed to take. The pictures came out nicely and he and Mark looked really good together, like a real couple. I wish, he thought before realizing he had fallen behind a bit. Jackson jogged a bit to catch up with the Tuan’s so they could go eat dinner.

Every day they ate a dinner that Dorine cooked and it was always delicious. Jackson thought it came close to rivaling his own mother’s cooking, but he was too much of a momma’s boy to say something like that aloud.

Each night Mark and Jackson spent together was interesting as well. They had started talking before bed, getting to know each other a bit better before a little ‘totally platonic’ cuddling and falling asleep together. At first they had played twenty questions, asking random bits of information that they didn’t learn about each other when they were cleaning Mark’s apartment. Then they started getting deeper and more personal. The night before Dorine and Raymond would be leaving they talked past relationships.

Mark explained how he had come out to his family when he was fifteen. It hadn’t really come as a shock to his parents or siblings, but it did take some getting used to. He had had two good boyfriends and one absolute asshat of a guy, that had not only had very little consideration for Mark’s feelings, but also had a bad drinking problem. He’d try to force himself onto Mark and had hit him on a handful of occasions. It was what had made him decide to not date for a while, which was why he was currently single. 

Jackson on the other hand had only dated girls in the past, though he had also been attracted to guys. He hadn’t come out to his father yet, but his mother knew; he could never keep something like that from her. In both of his long term past relationships Jackson had been cheated on and he had a hard time trusting other people because of it. “But I’ve never felt like I needed to be guarded around you,” Jackson whispered with his eyes closed. Mark could tell he sounded very tired and just as he was about to suggest they call it a night Jackson beats him to it. He leans in and kisses Mark on the forehead and mutters a “goodnight” before falling asleep entirely, leaving Mark to sort out his feelings. 

When Mark and Jackson woke up, curled in each other’s arms once again, they got out of bed together and got moving. Today would be Mark’s parent’s last day in Seoul, as well as the last day for them to be in a fake relationship. Both of them had intentions of this relationship becoming real though, after this was all over. For now they just needed to get through the day and send Raymond and Dorine home happily this evening.

Since Dorine had been cooking every day they had been there, Mark and Jackson thought it would be nice to give her the day off. They sent the older couple to a very nice golf course to play the front nine while they started getting a delicious lunch prepared. After all Jackson had done for him, Mark insisted the Jackson should just set the table for now. Mark wasn’t completely helpless in the kitchen, he could handle it alone. 

And normally that would be true, but when Jackson had been forced to reach up and struggle to get to the plates kept on the top shelf of the cabinet, Mark got a glimpse of Jackson’s taunt muscles and was distracted. He was thinking about all the marks he’d like to leave on that perfectly unblemished stretch of skin on Jackson’s hipbone when he suddenly smelled smoke. He looked down at the stove just in time to see the small towel he was holding had caught fire and before he could recoil his hand, the flames licked his fingertips. He reacted with a shout as he threw the towel to the floor, stomping the fire out.

Jackson had turned in time to catch the last bit of Mark’s panic and stomping. He hurried over to Mark and saw how badly the older had burnt his hand. Jackson ushered him over to the sink before forcing him to stick his hand under the facet and let the cool water sooth the burn.

“Mark are you alright?” Jackson asked, carefully checking his hand to examine the burn.

“Just peachy,” Mark said. Jackson let out a quick laugh before getting serious again.

“It’s not funny, you could have really hurt yourself! It’s not bad enough to go to the hospital luckily, but it will hurt for a while,” Jackson said, “I think I have some Aloe Vera in my first aid kit next door. Just keep your hand under the water. I’ll be right back.”

After coming back and taking care of Mark’s hand, being sure to bandage it carefully, Jackson finished the cooking himself. When Mark’s parents got back they were very pleased to see the meal set out on the table. The four of them settled down to eat when Dorine noticed Mark’s bandaged hand and asked, “What happened honey?”

Mark looked at her sheepishly so Jackson answered for him. “Somebody, wanted to do the cooking all by themselves, but started daydreaming and burnt his hand. But don’t worry, I’m trained in first aid and made sure he was well taken care of,” Jackson replied, taking Mark’s hand in his and carefully giving the bandages a soft kiss right where he knew Mark’s burnt fingertips were. 

They joked about how Mark needed to be more careful for a bit while Mark blushed at how well Jackson acted like they were a couple. Suddenly there was a loud knock at the door. Mark had gotten up to check who it was when he heard the person shouting from the hallway “Mark! You better open up!” Instead of waiting, they just let themselves in, knowing Mark had probably forgotten to lock the door, “You said we’d go clubbing soon ages ago and both our extremely cute, single selves need to get out and find some big strong men to pound our asses into a mattress!” 

Mark visibly paled as he watched his friend BamBam round the corner into the dining room area. He could feel the shocked stares his parents and Jackson were giving him. BamBam took in the sight before him, seeing Mr. and Mrs. Tuan sitting at the table with Mark and the hot neighbor Mark always droned on and on about. He wasn’t sure what exactly was going on, but BamBam wasn’t stupid. He could read a room and this one was awkward, uncomfortable, confused, and shocked. He had clearly made a mess for Mark to have to deal with. “Ya know, I’ll just come back some other time…” BamBam said as he backpedaled to the door and swiftly left the apartment. 

Everyone sat in silence before Raymond spoke up, “Mark, what’s going on. Something’s not right here. We want the truth.”

Mark was still frozen in a mix of shock and fear when he felt Jackson rest and hand on his thigh. He took a deep breath before explaining from the very beginning. “Okay so it’s a funny story, really,” Mark started, “So I forgot what time you guys were coming in and your warning text is what made me realize I needed to start cleaning my apartment. It was only a little, tiny bit disorganized, but I didn’t have some of the cleaning supplies I needed.” Mark was speaking very quickly, not thinking over the words as they left his mouth to censor them; this was probably the most anyone has ever heard him speak all at once, “So you know how I can’t handle stress, I just started getting upset and my incredibly attractive neighbor heard me freaking out so he came to help and he was still there when I came back with you guys from the airport. I forgot I lied and said I was seeing someone, I just didn’t want you guys worrying about me! But when you guys saw him in my apartment you just went and assumed the guy I’ve had a crush on was my boyfriend. And Jackson is so sweet, he decided to help me, even though I’m an idiot.”

Everyone was silent as they all soaked in the words Mark had said. Mark also realized he’d called Jackson, who was still sitting right next to him, hot and admitted he had a crush on him. Normally he’d be freaking out, but with all the other shit hitting the fan he had to prioritize his freak-outs. “So, none of this has been real?” Dorine asked, disappointment evident in her eyes.

Mark nodded shamefully. It hurt Jackson to see. He really did like Mark, the reason his ‘acting’ had been so good was because he wasn’t really acting at all. He was just doing all the cute couple stuff he had spent so much time dreaming about of doing with Mark. He had also really grown to love Mark’s parents, so to see everyone so upset and hurt didn’t settle well with Jackson. He decided it was time for him to say something about all of this, “Well, I really do like Mark,” Jackson said calmly, “So even though this hasn’t been real, it still could be. That is if you’d want it to be Mark.”

Mark locked eyes with Jackson, they shared a look that made their attraction and love obvious. Mark nodded as Jackson smiled and pulled him in for a real kiss. One that they both wanted, on their own terms. Not a kiss they needed to do to keep a charade going. 

Mark’s parents didn’t say anything, they got up from the table and went to Mark’s room to finish packing their suitcases as their flight would be leaving soon. Mark and Jackson shared a concerned glance before quietly cleaning up the meal, boxing up leftovers and washing the dishes. The drive to the airport was also silent, but it wasn’t as awkward. Jackson had joined the Tuan’s, not just because he felt partially responsible for everything and he didn’t want to make Mark sit through that alone, but he also wanted to have the chance to say goodbye to Raymond and Dorine, they were great, kind people and he respected them for that.

After checking in their luggage they headed to security check, where the two of them would have to separate from Mark’s parents. Before any proper goodbyes could be exchanged, Raymond looks at Jackson and Mark, saying, “Well, your mother and I talked about it. We aren’t happy about being lied to, but even if you two weren’t together at the start of this week, at least you are now. You two are perfect for each other”. He then speaks directly to Jackson, “please keep protecting my mess of a son.” Jackson nods, he and Mark let out slight laughs in relief, as the four of them exchange hugs one last time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you have all enjoyed this story, even though I had taken such a long hiatus from it. Please feel free to comment what you thought about it! I also have another multi-chapter Markson story I'm working on right now called "Our Lives" that I'm very excited about so if you have the chance please check that out as well! I am also planning on posting a few random one shots throughout the summer so check back in with me so those if you're interested!!
> 
> -Katie

**Author's Note:**

> This is my second fanfic and I like this one better than the pizza delivery AU one. This was more fun to write, even if ended up being way longer than I had planned and then it turned into a two-shot. Expect the next chapter tomorrow evening hopefully! 
> 
> Let me know what you thought and what I can improve on! Also if you have any AU requests please feel free to let me know what I should write next! ^^


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